Evaluation of a new miniaturized ion mobility spectrometer and its coupling to fast gas chromatography multicapillary columns.

A new miniaturized ion mobility spectrometer (microIMS) has been constructed and evaluated. The results obtained for a selected group of volatile organic compounds have been compared with those provided by an IMS of bigger dimensions with satisfactory conclusions. Moreover, its performance in terms of analytes resolution is better than those values given for other miniaturized instruments described in the literature. The possibility of an adjustable shutter opening time and the low intensity of the radiation source are also remarkable characteristics of the miniaturized detector. The small size of the microIMS enables its portability and its wide-range of applications as a sensor device. Six different substances supposed as respiratory markers of different diseases have been selected to prove the feasibility of the spectrometer constructed.